


The Sound of Breaking

by aynessa



Category: Code Geass
Genre: Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Drabble, Gen, Light Angst, Mental Instability
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-03-14
Updated: 2011-03-14
Packaged: 2019-07-15 14:06:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16064678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aynessa/pseuds/aynessa
Summary: She had always thought that Zero might be slightly unhinged.





	The Sound of Breaking

**Author's Note:**

> Just a tiny drabble expanding upon the end of season 1, episode 17.

The first time it happened, Kallen wasn't entirely certain what she was hearing. She closed her mouth on what she had been about to say to Ohgi, and glanced over her shoulder at Zero's black Knightmare, ignoring his inquiry.

There...there it was again.

A faint, high-pitched hitching noise was coming from the comm attached to her ear. Almost like a laugh, but not quite. It sounded more like...quiet sobbing.

Coming from Zero's comm link.

Impossible. Zero couldn't possibly be crying.

The concept was...ludicrous. Ridiculous. Enough so that Kallen almost wanted to laugh at her own idiocy. But before she could even exhale the air from her lungs into a chuckle at her own thoughts, the sound came again- louder this time.

With a chill that traveled down the length of her spine, Kallen realized that Zero was laughing...hysterically. Her fingers clutched unconsciously at the comm she held against her ear, her eyes widening at the wavering, high-pitched laughter coming from their leader.

The suspicion that she had always held, from the very first day she had interacted with him, solidified a little bit more in her mind. Though, of course, it was utterly impossible. Lelouch could not be Zero. He had proved it, unknowingly, when he had handed her the phone with Zero's voice on the other end. He had proved it again later with his callous attitude towards the Japanese, whereas Zero would passionately defend them.

So, of course, there had to be another reason for Zero's uncertain hesitation during their recent battle...a good reason for his stunned silence when Suzaku Kururugi had been unveiled as the pilot of Lancelot. It didn't automatically mean that Zero was friends with Suzaku, for him to be horrified at the sight of the Japanese man piloting their greatest enemy and weakness. It made sense: why wouldn't he be surprised to see the man he'd rescued during his first public act fighting against them so diligently? Why shouldn't he be shocked into silence when confronted with something none of them had considered for even a moment?

Zero's laughter was louder now, so loud that Kallen feared her comrades might hear it from her comm. She covered it fully with her hand, wincing slightly as his strange, hitching laughter filled her eardrum.

She had always thought that Zero might be slightly unhinged.

This hysterical laughter only proved it.

And yet...

Even as she thought this, even as she rationalized to herself that these were all the understandable, sensible reasons for Zero to be laughing so strangely on this day...she couldn't help but wonder why his odd laughter made tears prick at her eyes.

Why her heart ached for him in her chest, when instead she should be horrified.

Why she wanted suddenly to hug him, when instead she should be running away.

Why, even when his throaty laugh seemed so darkly amused, even when it rose in pitch and continued unending, she couldn't help but think...that if she just closed her eyes and really, truly, listened... that it sounded...almost...

...almost...

...like breaking.

**Author's Note:**

> If you like my work, please consider [buying me a coffee!](https://ko-fi.com/cassavey)


End file.
